East Michigan News

After over a year of record inflation, the Biden administration is blaming Russian President Vladimir Putin for the country's economic woes, but data shows that gas prices have been a concern since early 2021.

Inflation in the U.S. has been continuously growing since President Joe Biden took office, with the rate increasing from 1.7% in February 2021 to 7.9% in February 2022, Statista reported.

Upon taking office, Biden stifled domestic energy production by signing a series of executive orders that instead prioritized mitigating climate change, CNBC reported.

"By effectively shutting down our own supply of critical oil and gas, the Biden Administration increased our reliance on foreign countries for our energy needs, increased global emissions, and increased gas prices for American families," Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) said in a press release.

Gas prices in the United States have continued to rise in tandem with inflation rates over the past year. The average cost of gas in March 2021 was approximately $2.94 per gallon, YCharts reported.

Gas prices in the country are the highest they've been since 2008, with the national average at $4.24 per gallon, AAA reported in their gas prices index.

"I'm just totally disgusted with what's going on with the whole leadership of our country," a Michigan resident told reporters in a video posted by RNC Research. "They're to blame."

Gas had been approximately $3.54 per gallon on average at the beginning of February, but the average rose to $3.70 per gallon on Feb. 28, YCharts reported. This was just four days following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The Biden administration has attempted to fault Putin for the record-high fuel prices, even using the hashtag #PutinPriceHike on social media and in recent political statements, Fox News reported.

"Let me first say that Americans are paying a higher price at the pump because of the actions of President Putin," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a press conference. "This is a Putin spike at the gas pump, not one prompted by our sanctions."

In a Twitter post on March 8, Biden said he was suspending all U.S. imports of Russian oil, gas and energy as a response to the Ukraine invasion.

The U.S. had imported approximately 8% of its crude oil and refined products from Russia in 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Gasoline prices have been rising for months as a result of the worldwide economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic, and petroleum refiners have not yet returned to their pre-pandemic levels of production, The Wall Street Journal reported.